TUBE Lines wants to reduce its CO2 emissions by 5,000 tonnes by the end of the year – the equivalent of an individual travelling the full length of the Piccadilly line 1.1 million times.
It follows a study carried out with the Carbon Trust by AEA Energy and Environment, the first to have been completed by any organisation working on the London Underground.
Although not directly responsible for power, Tube Lines, which maintains and renews Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines, can also influence a reduction of London Underground’s traction and station power requirements on the three lines which currently adds up to a sizeable 205,000 tonnes of CO2.
As part of the study, Tube Lines identified a wide range of potential improvements, of which 22 are being implemented this year to support the targeted reduction of CO2. These include re-profiling the Piccadilly line train wheels in LU depots instead of sending them away, saving 33 tonnes of CO2.
A number of carbon-saving initiatives since 2003 has seen a reduction of 1,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions. These energy-savers include paper recycling at terminus stations and reducing electricity consumption at its head office, which saves enough CO2 to fill nearly 1,200 Jubilee line trains.
“On its own, Tube Lines is not a big carbon polluter but we are part of a wider London transport network which altogether generates 22 per cent of the total London CO2 emissions,” said Shane McEntee, environment adviser at Tube Lines.
“This year’s cut is not an easy target to reach by any means but thankfully employees across the business, most of whom don’t have specific environmental responsibilities as part of their job, have already come up with solutions that I am confident will help us meet that objective.”